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Beauty, brains and exceedingly good taste: the Lake District, Cumbria is the full package. Here we celebrate a living culture that incorporates the past but is rooted firmly in the present. Our history - ancient and more recent - is alive and well in the very Cumbrian landscape, but you can interpret it in our impressive collection of museums that tell Cumbria’s story - from prehistory right through to the modern age.
There’s an impressive list of radical thinkers and artistic pioneers who found inspiration here – William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter, JMW Turner, John Ruskin, Kurt Schwitters, Josefina de Vasconcellos and Andy Goldsworthy. You can walk in their footsteps, visit their homes and explore the rich creative life built on their exceptional heritage.
You can see and feel it within a few short miles: as well as museums and heritage centres there are scores of galleries, exhibitions and artists’ studios; there’s artworks in the mountains and forests; a packed, year-round programme of live theatre performances, independent cinemas and festivals celebrating all manner of creative endeavours, from music to local craft. And yes, we have lots of traditional performance venues, but there’s a particular thrill in attending a show on an outdoor stage in a spectacular setting.
Inspiration
Working in collaboration with a wide range of fantastic partners including The Forum, BarrowFull,…
Set in the heart of the Lake District, this intimate theatre shares a building in Bowness with the…
A spectacular Gothic ruin set in 130 acres of ancient and romantic Gardens, award-winning Lowther…
Home to the Hasell family since 1679, visitors to Dalemain will discover a fascinating combination…
Theatre by the Lake has a setting on the shores of Derwentwater no other professional theatre in…
The loveliest spot that man hath ever found
Number of results: 55
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Ambleside
Museum, art gallery and reference library covering the history life and arts of the Lakes. Collections include Kurt Schwitters, Beatrix Potter, photography, fine art and local history.
Sedbergh
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art exhibitions, heritage looms and tea room.
Penrith
An unrivalled range of 1,2 and 3 day courses in the Arts, Crafts, Heritage skills, Baking, Textiles, Raku pottery, Wood /Stone carving, Willow & Wire, Ceramics, Glass, Silver and much much more.
Penrith
Brougham Hall is a creative haven where you can enjoy the perfect blend of crafts, coffee and restoration.
Windermere
Windermere Jetty Museum is a vibrant, family-friendly visitor attraction dedicated to the boats, people and the rich history of Windermere, England’s largest natural lake.
The Promenade, Maryport
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars, inscriptions and sculptures from the adjacent Roman fort and civilian settlement.
Bowness-on-Windermere
Our unconventional Japanese Robata cooking with Korean flavours and Pacific Rim influences makes Baha the perfect destination to enjoy a unique food experience.
Kendal
Regional artists know all too well how few spaces are available to show their work, so the recent opening of this large gallery space in Kendal is an exciting new addition to the Lakeland arts scene. With around a hundred square metres of space, the…
Windermere
Visitor centre with interactive exhibitions, Mawson gardens, adventure playground, shop and information centre. Lakeshore access for all.
Kendal
Lakeland Arts' much-loved art collection includes paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture ranging from the 1700's to the present. In our refreshed collection galleries discover the stories of our extraordinary collection pieces and the people…
Bowness on Windermere
Set in the heart of the Lake District, this intimate theatre shares a building in Bowness with the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction. The Theatre produces a lively programme of professional drama, music, folk, comedy, lectures and film.
Grasmere
A visit to Dove Cottage today transports you back to this remarkable period of ‘plain living and high thinking’. The sights, sounds and smells bring to life the bustling family home the Wordsworths would have known over 200 years ago.
Brampton
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it on Hadrian's Wall.
Coniston
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View the fully restored Bluebird craft in the Bluebird wing of the museum. Discover the mineral wealth of the fells, all at 'the most thought provoking…
Kentmere
Long House Studios is a small, friendly, independent art school offering intensive and immersive Art Courses for adults and young people. Courses run for 3-5 days in the beautiful Kentmere valley.
Lake Rd, Keswick
Theatre by the Lake has a setting on the shores of Derwentwater no other professional theatre in Britain can match. Each year it stages up to nine of its own productions of classic, modern and new plays and has won multi-starred reviews.
Carlisle
Discover 900 years of history and explore the tumultuous life of Carlisle Castle and its characters, in a new exhibition.
Lake District Music - Summer Festival - 26th July to 4th August 2024.
For almost 40 years the world’s finest classical musicians have performed in the stunning surroundings of the Lake District. Every summer they head to Cumbria for a festival like…
Kendal
Brewery Arts is a thriving and dynamic arts organisation with over forty years' experience of delivering an exciting and inspirational programme, including cultural events, festivals and creative learning courses. Our venue is a beautiful, historic…
Crosby-on-Eden
Whether you see yourself as an aviation enthusiast or simply a curious explorer, Solway Aviation Museum has something to offer. Based on the site of RAF Crosby-on-Eden, a former WWII fighter base, the museum has been painstakingly created by a team…
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Cumbria Tourism, Windermere Road, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PL